Africa

Houghton-in-Tanzania is a program of Houghton College in East Africa that offers junior and senior students an opportunity to experience life as most Africans themselves experience it. Students are exposed to African history, anthropology, environment, languages, politics, and religion. Extended trips away from the campus site include visits to nearby game reserves and Wahehe and Maasai tribal villages. Elective course options vary from year to year but the following three core courses are required: East African Culture (3), East African History (3), Wildlife Behavior (3/4). (A minimum 2.75 GPA is required.) Due to the program’s popularity, please apply a year in advance. Houghton in Tanzania Homepage

OTS students will travel through the stunning landscapes of South Africa, gaining exposure to its many diverse habitats. A large amount of time will be spent in Kruger National Park (South Africa's largest park), where students will participate in research, field walks, and game drives. Kruger is home to an incredibly diverse population of birds, animals, and insects, making it an ecologist's paradise. Students will be housed at the Skukuza camp (which has banks, shops, post office, swimming pool, etc.), and will also spend time in a tented research village in Kruger. The following classes are required: South African Ecosystems and Diversity (4), Field Research Skills (4), Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in South Africa (4), History Through Culture of South Africa (4). Duke OTS Homepage

Other places traveled include the Fynbos (the world's smallest and most diverse floral kingdom), the Namaqualand (semi-desert with interesting succulent flora), Robben Island, De Hoop (a coastal reserve), and some of South Africa's cosmopolitan cities.

The Uganda Studies Program provides students with both immersion in a local community and broad exposure to a variety of people and places in Uganda and Rwanda. Students in the Uganda Studies Emphasis (USE) live on campus at Uganda Christian University (UCU), an international affiliate member of the CCCU, sharing their lives with university students from Uganda and other parts of Africa. Students in the intercultural Ministry & Missions Emphasis (IMME) live with host families within walking distance of the university. All USP students take classes from UCU professors and share meals with UCU students. These relationships give students a first-hand perspective as they explore issues such as poverty, cultural expressions of Christianity and missions, and as they seek to reconcile the realities of East Africa with their Christian faith. Students also spend time in Rwanda and rural Uganda. In addition to the core experiential course, students will choose from an approved selection of courses from the UCU curriculum to earn up to 16 hours of credit. Uganda Studies Homepage